White Sox preparing for Jeff Samardzija to test free-agent market

How will the White Sox approach soon-to-be free agent Jeff Samardzija heading into this offseason?

After the White Sox traded for Jeff Samardzija in December, general manager Rick Hahn said he hoped a winning season would help to convince the right-hander to stay on the South Side beyond 2015.

As was accurately depicted in a 6-4 loss to the Indians on Wednesday night at U.S. Cellular Field, neither the Sox nor Samardzija has had a particularly successful year, and Hahn confirmed this week that he expects the 30-year-old pitcher to weigh his options on the free-agent market once he completes his season.

"He's going to have to go to the market and hear what's out there," Hahn said. "He has worked too hard and too long over his career to get to something that is very valuable to a player.

"We've developed what we feel is a strong relationship with Jeff as well as his representatives, and I'm sure we'll be in contact as the offseason unfolds. (But) he's right on the doorstep of free agency and I fully expect him to explore that."

Samardzija's case has been made interesting by a season in which he has posted a 4.89 ERA, which would rank as the worst of his career since he became a full-time starter in 2012. He gave up his 25th and 26th homers — a career high — in the fifth inning and was tagged for four earned runs in 6 2/3 innings.

Trayce Thompson, Tyler Saladino and Jose Abreu homered to keep the Sox within striking distance, but the Indians scored two runs on Thompson's fielding error in the eighth to pull away.

"You don't want to let your buddies down," Samardzija said. "You want to go out there and perform and win a game on your own if you have to. That's what we keep working for, and that's why you keep going through this process all the time."

Hahn declined to address whether the Sox will make Samardzija a qualifying offer, a one-year deal worth the average of baseball's top 125 salaries. If Samardzija were to decline the offer and sign with another team, the Sox would be compensated with a draft pick.

All 12 free agents who were given $15.3 million qualifying offers last year rejected them, including David Robertson and Melky Cabrera, who are now with the Sox.

Samardzija also could accept it and try to build his stock with another season on the South Side, but it seems likely he will look for a multiyear deal. Fox Sports' Ken Rosenthal recently suggested a four-year, $75 million contract might be realistic.

"That's an offseason conversation," Hahn said. "If that occurs, that's great — so be it. But again, we're not to the point of worrying about qualifying offers or contract lengths or any of that stuff."

A hit: The afternoon after recording his first hit in a Sox uniform, Rob Brantly was carefully hanging up two jerseys at his locker — his and a miniature version for his nephew.

Jeff Samardzija and Trayce Thompson talk about the White Sox loss to the Indians.

Jeff Samardzija and Trayce Thompson talk about the White Sox loss to the Indians.

Brantly posted a picture on social media of his sister's 2-year-old son wearing a diaper and holding a foam Sox bat while watching the game in which his uncle hit a three-run homer for his first major-league hit in nearly two years. Succumbing to the cuteness, the Sox had a custom jersey made for the boy.

Brantly, 26, also hopes to draw attention this month in a Sox uniform. The Sox claimed the left-handed hitter off waivers from the Marlins in December. He has played in three games thus far with the homer, a walk and four RBIs in nine plate appearances.

He was limited early this year with an avulsion fracture in his left thumb, but he came back to hit .310 with nine doubles, eight homers and 38 RBIs in 53 games in the minors.

"You almost don't think of it as my last hit in the big leagues was two years ago," Brantly said. "You try to take that mentality that you're a major-leaguer, whether you play here, Triple A, Double A."